For many chefs and food experts, a love of cooking is something instilled during their formative years – developed while watching their parents or grandparents prepare food in their home kitchens. For others, it’s their parents lack of cooking finesse that inspire them to pick up the pans. These top chefs share what they’ve learnt about cooking (the good, the bad and the ugly) from their mums in time for Mothers’ Day 2021. 

Here’s what these top chefs learnt from their mums about cooking:

Alejandro Huerta Carrillo 

“She always believed that cooking and feeding someone should be related to comfort and happiness. In a way, I always try to make people feel that with what I cook.”

Analiese Gregory

“If you make it, you can eat as much of it as you want. And, how to make scallop congee.”

Andy Allen

“Unfortunately, my mother is extremely challenged in the kitchen, which is probably why I started to cook in the first place. If Mum was not so average (love you, Mum) I may not have felt the need to pick up a knife. So in a round-abouts way, thanks Mum!”

Christine Manfield

“Cook with a generous heart.”

Daniella Guevara Munoz

“My mother is a very good cook and has given me very good salsa recipes.”

Lennox Hastie 

“Always cook with love.” 

Mark Wright

“Growing up, my dad prepared most of the meals – he would get a bit creative with his meals but the bit I learnt was to always make it taste good.”

Morgan Mcglone

“Use Watties tinned corn for corn fritters, always…”

Tom Tilbury 

“Produce from a garden at home is best!”

This year you can catch these chefs and more (and maybe some of their mums) appearing and cooking at Tasting Australia in Adelaide, from 30 April to 9 May. For more information on this annual celebration of fabulous food, drinks and the country’s best produce, and to purchase tickets, visit tastingaustralia.com.au.